Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 4.

In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank.

During organised tours in Germany, tourists can (1) ______ a former Nazi compound 40 kilometres from Berlin (2) ______ the ‘Forbidden City’. Around twenty thousand people visit this place (3) ______ year to learn about Nazi military history. The Nazis (4) ______ militarily active at the compound, which was kept (5) ______ in a forest and behind a fence. They hid underground bunkers in country homes, and they planned much of World War II here.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The correct answer is option 3, i.e. ‘were’.

Concept/Grammar rules

Application

The sentence is in the past tense. The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that happened in the past.

'Has been' and 'Have been' are used for present tense only so not correct.

The subject here is plural i.e. Nazis, so 'was' cannot be used.

Hence, 'were' will be the appropriate word.

SSC CHSL 2019 PYQ — Question 4